Fear of Victory
'Season 1 Episode 24 ' In a dormitory at Gotham University, Dick Grayson and his roommate, Brian Rogers, watch a sports newscast on a University football game from the day before. The report ends praising Rogers preformance and his hight likelihood of being signed by a professional team. Dick mutes the TV and echoes the praise. Rogers is alittle nervous about Gotham's upcoming match against State Tech and the importance the performance will have for potential scouts. Dick reassures Brian that he "will dazzle 'em" and throws him his football. Rogers appreciates Dick's support and hopes by attaining professional status he'll be able to move his family into better financial straits. Returning their attention to the TV, they are taken aback by a report on a series of bizarre sports bloopers: several athletes - many of them odd-on favorites - suddenly have panic attacks in the middle of their game, causing them to lose. Just then, there is a knock on the door and Brian answers it to a courier with a telegram. After reading it, he appears confused, and Dick reads it with him: it starts out wishing him luck in the upcoming match, but then ends reminding Brian that "only a fool knows no fear." On the day of the match, the sutuation is shockingly unexpected. State Tech is leading Gotham University 24 to 3, with Brian off his game all the time. During a huddle, he appears nervous and sweaty, when his teammates urge him to take the offense. When the ball is snapped, and Brian is charged by the opposing players, he sees them as horrific monsters, and drops the ball, curling in terror. The game is stopped so a medical teamcan see to him. Dick jumps down from the stands and runs to his friend, hearing him mumbling "they were so big and scary ... I just ... couldn't." And with that the doctors take Brian to the infirmary, leaving behind a confused and concerned Dick. Later that day, on night patrol, Robin asks Batman his take on his classmate's strange behavior. Batman seems to think it's simple pressure, but then they notice two robbers on the top of a building, attempting to get away with smuggled jewelry. Batman and Robin point their grapples and begin to reel up, but halfway up, Robin is overcome by fear and cannot move forward. Terrified, he begins sweating and shaking and looses his grip on the grapple. Desperately, he clings onto the wall of the building, barely holding himself in place. Batman notices this and the second he turns to look over at Robin, the two robbers shower him with bricks, blocks and other pieces of the building they could get their hands on. Batman tries to dodge tham, but is eventually hit and falls off, barely able to grip the wall nearby Robin. He asks for Robin's help, but the still-trembling boy is frozen in place. Meanwhile, the two robbers manage to knock off one of the statues atop of the building, forcing Batman to let go rather than be hit by it. While falling, Batman manages to save himself with a spare grapple, then reascend the building before the two robbers can drop another statue on Robin. After subduing them, he takes Robin under his arm and lowers him slowly to the ground. Considering it too suspicious for both Robin and his room-mate to have had panic attacks on the same day, Batman and Robin go to the University and investigate their dorm room. Batman finds the mysterious telegram and notices it staining his gloves with white powder. They take the telegram with them. At the Batcave, the chemical is analyzed and it turns out that it induces fear, but is triggered by the secretion of adrenaline. In other words, when the subject becomes excited, the chemical transforms excitement into fear. The chemical can only have one possible source - The Scarecrow. The Dynamic Duo's next stop is at Arkham Asylum where a corrupt guard insists that professor Crane is still in his cell, but Batman shoulders past him and finds a decoy inside the cell, much to the Joker's amusement. At a bookie's, Scarecrow (in desguise) collects his latest winning, over $28,000. Its owner, Leon the Bookie wonders why the mystery man has been winning so steadily, and Scarecrow just says he makes his own luck. Leon merely turns to one of his lackeys and asks him to follow Scarecrow and "be persuasive" with him. The thug does as told and soon the Scarecrow enters what seems to be an abandoned theater, his hideout. The thug follows close behind until the Scarecrow leads him to a barn setting. There, the man is confronted by Scarecrow who baits him with another trick telegram and drives him into a terrified state. The next day, Batman is called to the Police Infirmary by Commissioner Gordon where they find the thug scared stiff, hidden under his bed. Batman explains Scarecrow's scheme: Scarecrow is "fixing" games in order to win at gambling by disabling the favored candidates with his fear toxin. Back at the cave, Robin is trying to overcome his fear by negotiating a narrow cliff, but Batman returns just in time to keep him from falling. Robin says he cannot help Batman, but Batman insists that he needs Robin's help at that nights football game. Outside the stadium, Robin spots the Scarecrow despite the big crowd and manages to follow him until he reaches the lockers. Robin hides behind a nearby hall-stand until Scarecrow exits the lockers. Despite being extremely close to the Scarecrow, who had even taken off his mask in front of him, Robin is able to keep his cool and not reveal his hiding place. When Scarecrow decides to leave to the stadium, Robin checks the locker room and disposes of the helmet Scarecrow had filled with his powder. Shortly after, in the field, Gotham is leading and is close to winning the game. Scarecrow is puzzled by the delayed action of his toxin, when he is cought on the roof of the stadium by by Batman. Panicked, Scarecrow pulls out a test-tube with the fear toxin and threatens to drop it on the people below, causing mass panic. Batman is held at bay, and just to make sure, Scarecrow drops it anyway. The tube lands on the rim of a scaffolding, and Batman goes after it. As they struggle, the test-tube falls and Robin has no choice but to defeat his fear: he uses his grappler to swing towards the tube and catch it. Defeated, Scarecrow tries to escape, but has no chance. Later, at Wayne Manor, Bruce and Dick watch TV in the living room, as Brian Rogers signs a much-desired contract with the Gotham Knights. Dick smiles at Bruce's suggestion to congratulate his room-mate through a telegram. Category:DC Animated Universe Category:Batman : The Animated Series